Let's support those with depression. From me to you, when you'refeeling blu.

I'm starting a movement. Anyone want to get involved? 

#frommetoyouwhenyourefeelingblu

Do you know someone who has depression? I've decided to start a movement to encourage people to be aware of those in their circle of friends and family who do, and to send a card (or even a few) in July, to let them know how much you care. This is a subject close to my heart, as I've lost a family member to depression as a teenager. Let's see how many people lives we touch! 

In this digital age, we send texts, but do you remember how lovely it is to get something that's NOT a bill in the mail? To know someone cares enough to let you know they are there for you, with an encouraging sentence or two, that you can keep forever, and never forget...... Is a beautiful, powerful thing.

Last year a very close friend was struggling with depression, and I wanted to do something to be there for her- but we are separated by 2 states, so it was very difficult. I decided to send her a card a day for a week, with the last card containing a gift voucher for her and her partner to go to the movies. Yes, I could have just sent the voucher, but I wanted her to know how much I cared, and SO wished I could have been the shoulder she cried on. So I WAS there, every day for a week. It was a small thing, but powerful. It gave her something to look forward to, instead of another day of depression. 

If you would like to support those with depression in your life, and community, follow the following steps:

1-please share this post,  (to get the word out there!) 

2-make or buy a card.

3-take a pic of the card, post that picture on facebook or Instagram, with the hashtag #frommetoyouwhenyourefeelingblu (thanks Leisa Pedersen for that idea!)  

4- send card to your loved one. :-) 

By "hash tagging" your post you enable us all to see how many peoples lives are being touched by sending words of love to those with depression. My team and I would love this to go viral, and 1000s of people with depression recognise there are MANY people who care and want the very best for them. Imagine a person with depression recieving not just one, but, 2, or 3, or 5 cards in July from different people who are concerned for them! What a boost that would be! If things go well- we could do this EVERY JULY!!!!

Id love to hear your thoughts on my idea, and if you are determined to have a go! 

New Annual Catalog-playful palette meets bear hugs

Playful Palette Designer series paper, and Bear hugs.

Bear hugs, playful palette DSP and swirly scribbles die cut wavy background

It's so exciting to see the release of the new Annual catalog-and Im really excited to see the carry over of some MUCH beloved sets too! So i thought id mix it up and do a mix of some of the old with some of the new!

I loved the bear hugs stamp set that came out during Sale-a-bration this past season. I've mentioned before how I love the dress-up aspect of it-similar to the  snow place stamp set. heres a card I made when the set first came out-

Bear hugs stamp set.
click on the pic to take you to my original post!

 the type of paper dolls i remember
as a kid

Do you remember those paper dolls you got when you were a kid? I looked up paper dolls in google, and found this image-its very similar to what I remember.  (Am I just showing my age? Lol) I used to spend ages popping all the little die cut pieces out of their surrounding card stock, and attaching clothes, teeny tiny shoes (which would invariably get sucked up by the vacuum cleaner, never to be seen again!)They sometimes came with a book with a story, to get your imagination fired.... Well, I love these sets because of those fun times, I think. My imagination thinks of all the ways I can use the pieces....

the Bear image from the "bear hugs" stamp set
(-with slippers!!)
Playful Palette Dsp makes a nice feminine colour combo!

Brian King mentioned he is uncomfortable with how the Bears stand on their tippy toes in this set (or claws?) I thought about this, and saw his point-so I used the hat image, and fussy cut just the head piece of the hat stamped image to create shoes... I think they look like the front of slippers! Lol.

bear hugs sentiment- "wishing you a day full of sunshine, and a lake full of fish"

I loved this sentiment in this set- but because I plan to give this to my mum, -and she's not into fishing- I changed it up a little- the entire sentiment is: "wishing you a day full of sunshine, and a lake full of fish"

It's a small sentiment, but if I had wanted to I could have taped (I usually use washi tape for this method) off the second part of the sentiment after stamping, to mask it off, and stamped it directly on to the card stock, but I wanted it on contrasting cardstock, so I just stamped the image, and cut around the part I didn't want. Easy!

(Oh! and I sneaked in another use of the swirly scribbles dies-the negative pieces make cool wavy backgrounds! there hasn't been a card I've made in over a month that hasn't featured either the stamp set of the dies from this bundle. well worth a look!!)

Ive entered this post in Kylie's crazy crafter team highlights-head on over to Kylie's post to see some other amazingly talented artists, and get more ideas from the new catalog!

Click here to see other amazing projects by Kylie's, and vote for your favourite!

I hope you have enjoyed today's post- I have had such a busy week, and it's been nice to squeeze in a bit of creativity.  

Thankyou for stopping by- I hope you get a chance to have a look in the new catalog- it's brilliant!!